Gallas Still Has Future At Arsenal

LONDON: Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger insists deposed skipper William Gallas still has a future at the club despite his shock public criticism of his teammates last week.

Gallas was stripped of the club captaincy, fined two weeks’ wages and dropped from the squad that lost 3-0 at Manchester City, the north London club’s third defeat in four English Premier League games.

Wenger refused to talk about his decision to discipline the France defender but insisted the events of a turbulent week could not be blamed for Arsenal’s desperately unconvincing performance at Eastlands.

And despite the fall-out between manager and player, Wenger is adamant that his compatriot Gallas could yet rebuild his bridges and remain at Emirates Stadium.

“Of course he has a future at the club,” Wenger said.
“We have had difficult times. We have always been strong enough to deal with it and we will be strong again to deal with it.

“Nothing was disturbed by what happened before the game. We had a good focus, good concentration and I believe it was a flattering score-line for Manchester City.”

Goals from Stephen Ireland, Robinho and a late penalty from Daniel Sturridge inflicted Arsenal’s fifth defeat of the season and seriously undermined any hope Wenger’s side had of clawing their way back into the title race.

But the Frenchman refused to write off his team’s hopes and insisted any analysis of his side’s problems should include an examination of his own contribution as well as that of the players.

“I always look at myself, even when we win,” he said.

“We are not in a blame culture at our club. We stand up for our responsibilities.

“We have to take the positive and keep the belief. In a strong team at a strong club we sometimes have to go through these periods and it is how we handle these periods that makes our future.” — AFP